"May Jehovah, the God of Israel, be praised throughout all eternity". (16:36).
"And let us bring back the Ark of our God".
About 70 years had passed since the Ark had stood in the Tabernacle, for "they had not cared for it in the days of Saul ". (3).
With David now as undisputed king, it was time to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.
No other place was more suitable, for as one scholar says " was it not the Ark of God over which Jehovah specifically manifested his presence?"
So David " congregated all Israel...to bring the Ark of the true God from Kiriath- jearim". (5).
The significance is emphasized in vs 6 ; the Ark represented "Jehovah who sits above the cherubs, where his name is called on".
This was an undertaking of such solemn national importance that it involved "all Israel ".
But David overlooked an essential detail:
It was only to be carried by Kohathite Levites.
The Insight book says the Ark was fitted with long poles that were not to be removed, "hence there was never a need to touch it".
And "The fact that the Ark was associated with the presence of Jehovah demanded that due respect and high regard" be given to it.
But instead David allowed the Ark to be placed on a wagon.
In fact, the arrangements he made were the same as the Philistines had made when they returned the Ark to Israel in 1 Sam 6:7.
David made a serious mistake that contravened Jehovah's instructions, and it led to a fatality.
One scholar says "the neglect...involved a breach...of obedience and absolute submission to Jehovah ".
At the threshing floor of Chidon, disaster struck.
The bulls pulling the wagon caused a near upset, and "Uzzah thrust his hand out and grabbed hold of the Ark".
For that "irreverent act" (see 2 Sam 6:7), Jehovah struck him down "and he died there before God ". (9&10).
Was Jehovah unfair?
The Insight book says "Notwithstanding Uzzah's presumably good intentions...deliberate disobedience was involved".
Uzzah was a Levite (but not a priest), the Ark had been kept at his home, he would have known he was not authorized to touch it under any circumstances.
And Jehovah had given public warning long before, in Num 4:15, that anyone, even the priests, violating this prohibition incurred the death penalty.
David was both angry and fearful. (11&12).
The scholar quoted earlier says "He must have felt that the blame lay with himself, and he seems also to have learnt its lesson...holiness befitted every contact with God ".
The Ark is temporarily deposited at the house of Obed-edom, a Levite of Gath-Rimmon, for 3 months.
During that time, Jehovah blessed "the household of Obed-edom and all he had". (14).
Ch 14.
"When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over all Israel (they) came up to search for David ". (8)
The most famous champion of the Philistine army was Goliath, and he's famous not for his prowess, but for his defeat at the hands of a boy.
A boy who said "You are coming to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I am coming to you with the name of Jehovah of armies, the God of the battle lines of Israel ". (1 Sam 17:45)
This boy is now a man, and he's the king.
And the Philistines haven't learned a thing.
So on hearing that David, who as a boy had felled their own champion, is now king over the whole nation, it was unpalatable news.
One scholar says "with the tidings of David's elevation to the throne of (the now) united Israel...the danger to their supremacy (after defeating Saul so decisively) was too real to be overlooked ".
So they "came in and kept making raids in the Valley of Repha-im".
David asks Jehovah "Should I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?"
Jehovah responded ; "Go up,and I will surely give them into your hand ". (10).
The victory Jehovah gave was so complete that David called the place of it 'Baal-pe•razin, meaning "Owner of Breaking Through "(11), and we know from Isa 28:21 that this name never passed from Israel's memory.
The victory and its meaning were all the more notable in that the Philistines had brought their gods with them to the battle, and "when David gave the order, these were burned in the fire". (12).
The Philistines didn't give up, they came up a second time, obviously hoping to retrieve something from their previous disaster.
Again Jehovah directed David, but this time he was told to "go around behind them ". He was to wait until he heard "the sound of marching" in the tops of the Baca bushes, and then "launch your attack ". Jehovah assured him " the true God will have gone out before you ". (13-15).
The victory was so decisive that the rout of the Philistines extended from Gibeon to Gezer,
"And David's fame spread into all the lands, and Jehovah put the dread of him upon all the nations ". (16&17).
Ch 15.
"And he prepared a place for the Ark of the true God ". (1).
Having learned from his previous disastrous attempt to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, David orders :
"No one is to carry the Ark of the true God except the Levites, for Jehovah has chosen them to carry the Ark ". (2).
All Israel was congregated, and the priests and the Levites were gathered and told to "sanctify yourselves...and bring the Ark of Jehovah the God of Israel up to the place that I have prepared for it". (4-12).
David acknowledged Jehovah's anger "because we did not search out the proper procedure". (13).
This time, David closely observed everything that "Moses had commanded by Jehovah's word". (15).
2 Sam 6:13 tells us that as the procession, which included singers and musicians, moved forward, a "bull and a fatted animal" were sacrificed.
And with the Ark's safe arrival, "seven young bulls and seven rams" were sacrificed in thanksgiving. (26).
There was much rejoicing, and David himself took part in the festivities "dancing before Jehovah with all his might ". (2 Sam 6:14).
But his wife Michal was watching from her window, and saw David "skipping about and celebrating ".
One scholar says "Michal saw in this nothing but needless humiliation of the royal dignity. She had loved the warrior, and she could honor the king, but "the daughter of Saul " could neither understand nor sympathize with such a demonstration as that in which David now took part".
The bible says "And she began to despise him in her heart". (27-29).
Ch 16.
"So they brought the Ark of the true God in". (1).
It was placed in the tent David had erected, sacrifices were offered, and the people were blessed "in the name of Jehovah ", food was distributed, and the Levites were appointed to various musical roles.
These were led by Asaph, whose family name we recognize from some of the Psalms.
David now composed a song that touches us still. Here are some extracts:
"Give thanks to Jehovah, call on his name
.....
Ponder over all his wonderful works
.....
His judgments are throughout the earth
.....
Declare his glory among the nations
.....
For Jehovah is great and most worthy of praise
.....
In his presence are majesty and splendor
.....
And say 'Save us, O God of our salvation,
Gather us and rescue us from the nations,
So that we may give thanks to your holy name '".
And all the people said "Amen!" (8-36).
Although the Ark was now in Jerusalem, the Tabernacle was at Gibeon, and sacrifices were offered there too under the supervision of Zadok. (39&40).
Under Asaph's headship, Heman (Samuel's grandson), and Jeduthun, shared the responsibilities for the Levitical musicians, the 3 of them being under the immediate control of the king (see Insight). (41).
And after much rejoicing, just like us after a wonderful convention, "all the people went to their homes, and David went to bless his own household ". (43).
Lesson for us.
These 4 chapters of Chronicles surely highlight Jehovah's holiness.
David learned a hard lesson as to the degree of reverence and obedience, and respect for his holiness, that Jehovah requires from his servants.
His failure to "search out the proper procedure" led to a disaster.
We need to do things Jehovah's way. Deut 29:19 warns that those who insist on walking in their own way will not reap anything good.
In David's case, this was not a deliberate act, but his neglect in making sure he understood Jehovah's requirements still led to Uzzah losing his life.
The same warning in Deuteronomy applied to Uzzah himself. In his case it was an act of deliberate disobedience. Num 15:30 says "But the person who does something deliberately...must be cut off".
Did he mean to disobey, or was it more of a reflex action?
Whatever the case, it was a clear contravention of Jehovah's command and he suffered the consequences.
His death shows us we can't afford to be careless, he committed an "irreverent act" and was put to death like Nadab and Abihu before him. The warning had been a public warning.
Jehovah is a God of justice.
Have we ever, as a faithful person, nevertheless made a catastrophic error that had terrible consequences for someone else?
David learned from his mistake and made sure that in his next attempt, he did everything right.
We can do the same.
The Philistines never came to any comprehension of Jehovah's holiness, his majesty, the supremacy of Jehovah God the Almighty.
Time after time they had the opportunity to learn that lesson, and again and again they resolved upon the opposite course.
They lost their gods in the first defeat at Repha-im, they were completely routed in the second.
Those who oppose Jehovah today are no different. Like the Philistines before them, Jehovah will "break them with an iron scepter ". (Psm 2:9).
We need have no fear when this system is brought to its end.
David set us a wonderful example ;
he enquired of Jehovah on both occasions when the Philistines came against him.
We know we too will be given instructions, all we need to do is follow those instructions faithfully, as David did.
The safe arrival of the Ark was an occasion of great celebration. Particularly so since it was associated with Jehovah's presence and his holy name.
What was it about this that Michal just didn't seem to comprehend?
The bible refers to her as "Saul's daughter " (2Sam 6:20), rather than as David's wife.
This was not a comment on whose family line she came from, it was a comment on her attitude, on her mindset.
She sarcastically upbraided David, worse - she "began to despise him in her heart".
The incident recorded here gives us a window into her heart, and not only toward David, but also toward Jehovah, much like that of her father.
Contempt kills a marriage.
And to harbor such disrespect and a lack of appreciation for sacred things, or sacred occasions, kills any prospect of a relationship with Jehovah himself.
"Holiness belongs to Jehovah ".
These were the words engraved on the gold plate on the high priest's turban.
But even a priest could forget, or a Levite.
David himself overlooked the import of those words when he was so careless with the moving of the Ark.
Michal totally missed not only the sense of the occasion, but also the joyfulness of having Jehovah's presence right there in Jerusalem.
The Insight book says "Holiness applied to...Jerusalem because...the Sanctuary...was located there".
Holiness is a command.
Jehovah can only be worshipped in holiness. Peter wrote:
"You must be holy, because I am holy ". 1 Pet 1:16.
David's song speaks of Jehovah's greatness, and his holiness.
It speaks to us.
We call on his name, we declare his glory to all who will listen, we recognize his majesty.
And we ask him to rescue us from the nations who oppose him.
Like the faithful angels, like Jehovah's faithful servants in the past, we too can say :
"Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah God the Almighty ".
(Rev 4:8).
Edited by Ludwika JWT
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